Maybe One Day
by forever-a-thief
Summary: Severus Snape has been de-aged to a young child and his guardian becomes Hermione Granger.
1. Catching Tadpoles

_Chapter One: Catching Tadpoles in the Rain_

Hermione looked out the window and saw Severus crouching in the mud, looking for something. Her heart seemed to clench in her chest and she sighed, watching the unbelievably serious child searching through the water of the pond as the rain hit it. He looked like he was getting quite frustrated, so Hermione decided to intervene before he could throw a proper tantrum.

Throwing on her raincoat, Hermione stepped outside, making her way slowly to Severus's side. He looked up at her uncertainly when she stopped, trying to hide the jar he had been holding behind him. Hermione only smiled, crouching down to his level and looking around.

"Hmm, and what are you doing?" When Severus only stared at her, Hermione put on a thinking face, over-exaggerating as she hummed. "Were you... splashing in puddles?" When Severus rose a disappointed eyebrow, Hermione pouted and tapped her finger against her chin in thought. "Hmm... were you counting raindrops?" Severus's head drooped and he glared up at her through his lashes, as if her inability to figure out what he had been doing was disappointing in the gravest way. "Oh, no? Umm, I know! Were you catching tadpoles?" Severus looked shocked for a moment before he nodded, edging away from Hermione ever so slightly to protect his jar of baby frogs.

"I wasn't gonna do anything with 'em!" he said quietly, defensively, as he wrapped his arms around the jar with a pout. "I was just gonna catch them and put them back later! I swear, Hermione. Don't make me. . . ," he didn't finish his sentence as he looked down at the jar sadly, already waddling toward the pond to replace the tadpoles. But Hermione gently stopped him.

"It's alright, honey. You can catch tadpoles; there's nothing wrong with that. Hmm, how about we look for a grown up frog? Wouldn't that be fun?" She knudged Severus in the shoulder playfully when he looked at her with wide, confused eyes. She pretended to ignore his look and began searching through the tall grass. When she found a suitable creature, she began hopping after it. Severus stared at her in shock, as if she had just gone mad.

"Come on, Sev! Are you just going to stand there and watch or are you going to help me catch this frog! It's a fast one. I might not be able to get him!" Hermione kept running after the frantic amphibian and slowly, Severus began following her. The rational part of his mind was grumbling at him about the childishness of the endeavor, but the part that was dominant in this moment really wanted to catch that frog before Hermione.

He began running ahead of her, stopping to see where the frog would go. When it stopped, apparently unsure of which way to go, Severus pounced. He held the squirming frog close and grinned wide up at Hermione, surprised to find her smiling radiant down at him.

"Oh, you beat me! You caught him first. Good job, Sev!" She stood up and held her hand out, knudging him toward the pond again. "Why don't we put him back in the pond with his babies? Then we can go get some hot chocolate, hmm?" Severus took her hand tentatively (this woman had been his _student_ at one point!) and followed her to the pond, where he gladly released the squirming frog. Hermione handed him the jar of tadpoles, and he gently poured the contents back into the pond.

"Good job, Sev. Let's go inside now, yeah? It's getting a bit cold out here." Severus didn't argue and followed his guardian into the house, glad it was just the two of them today. She led him into the mud room, helping him kick off his muddy boots and sopping wet raincoat. While she threw her own coat and boots off, Severus hovered at her side, still uncomfortable in her house.

Once she was finished, she took Severus's hand and led him to the kitchen sink, where they both washed their hands, Hermione lifting Severus up so he could reach. Then she set him down and he took a seat at the table. As she busied herself boiling the water, Severus spoke up.

"Miss Granger?" Hermione sighed and turned around, a calm smile on her face.

"I've told you to call me Hermione, Severus. You know that." She turned back to the sink, but when Severus didn't continue, she peeked over her shoulder and saw that the boy was staring at the table now, pouting. "Come on now, sweetie. You know what I mean. And you know I'm not angry with you." She knelt down and rubbed his arms to warm him up and give him a bit of comfort.

Severus seemed to grind his teeth as he turned to look up at her. "I'm still me, Miss Granger. There is no way this is going to work out. I remember too much and I can't _enjoy_ any of this. I can't. I'm... sorry." Hermione smiled sadly and rose when the kettle began whistling. She filled two mugs with hot chocolate and nodded towards the living room. Severus sighed but followed her direction, stepping silently behind her as she settled on the sofa, the fire crackling warmly before them.

She set the cocoa on the table and leaned back, patting the seat next to her for Severus. With another put-upon sigh, Severus did as he was asked and crawled up next to her. She wrapped him up in a blanket and a hug, squishing him against her side but not uncomfortably so.

Unconciously snuggling closer, Severus took the offered cup and began to sip. Miss Granger had added a cooling charm, to keep him from burning his lips and tongue on the hot liquid. He smiled, content, all thoughts of doubt sliding away for the moment.

'Miss Granger will make a wonderful mother when she has her own children', Severus mused.

Hermione stroked his tiny shoulder and watched the flames jump about in the fireplace. They sat in silence for a bit, until they had both finished their drinks, and then Hermione lifted Severus onto her lap, snuggling him close. He didn't argue; he even curled closer, his eyes closed sleepily.

"Severus, you know I care about you so much; I love you like you're my own child. And I know that this is going to work. I'm going to make this the best childhood ever, and you're going to be so happy." She seemed to think over her statements for a moment, before she grinned and whispered into his hair. "Well, you're not going to be happy all the time, but you'll survive." Severus smiled sleepily into her hair and sighed happily.

He felt better, immensely better, about his situation. Hermione had this way of making all his fears and doubts disappear with a few well-said words. She always seemed to know how to make him feel better. He felt like he wouldn't mind calling her Mum, one day. Maybe.


	2. Minerva's Little Problem

_Chapter Two: A Solution to Minerva McGonagall's Little Problem_

_Three Months Earlier_

Hermione's Floo flared to life and she dropped the book she had been skimming through to answer it. She was more than a bit shocked to see Professor McGonagall looking back at her. When she came into the room, the old Professor heaved a sigh of relief and gave Hermione a grateful smile.

"I'm glad I caught you while you were home, Miss Granger." Hermione came closer and peered down at her Professor, smiling slightly.

"Hello, Professor. What can I do for you?" Hermione raised an eyebrow when McGonagall disappeared for a moment, before quickly rushing back again.

"It seems we have a bit of a problem. It's hard to explain but if you'd come through?" McGonagall trailed off, stepping back again to let Hermione step through the Floo.

When she walked through, she found herself in Hogwart's infirmary. It was empty except for one bed all the way at the end of the room. Hermione ignored it for the moment and faced McGonagall, waiting for an explanation.

"Miss Granger, I realize we haven't kept you updated about things here since you graduated, yet I believe that your help here would be greatly appreciated, if you would lend it."

McGonagall sounded at the end of her wits and nearly desperate. Hermione nodded without even thinking. "Of course, Professor. What's going on?"

Turning to look down the hall at the one occupied bed, Hermione followed her gaze and studied the tiny child curled up on the bed. It was a little boy, too young to be a student, maybe five years old. He had dirty black hair and frighteningly pale skin. His eyes were tightly shut and there were dark purple circles beneath them, signaling that the boy hadn't been sleeping well.

"Who is that, Professor?" Hermione couldn't place him, but he looked familiar. And he was obviously the reason she had been called to the school on her single day off.

"I know you're incredibly busy with your reporting job, congratulations by the way, but I simply don't know what else to do. He's so volatile, and he won't listen to me." McGonagall looked exhausted in that moment, frowning down at the floor, and for once she truly looked her age.

"Who is that boy, Professor?" Hermione placed a hand on McGonagall's arm, growing worried now. The Professor wanted _her_ to take care of some unknown child? What did _she_ know about children?

She pursed her lips and shook her head, but one final look at the boy made her blurt out her answer in one quick rush. "He's Severus Snape!" A hand over her mouth muffled her stressed breathing, and Hermione twisted on her heel to look back at the child.

He did look incredibly like her old Potions Professor. He had the same sallow skin and stringy hair. He was just a slightly chubby little five year old now, however. He was short and tiny and hadn't yet lost all his baby fat, but he also looked too thin for his age and sickly. He did not look like a healthy, happy little boy at all.

"What's wrong with him?" Hermione asked, worry starting to creep into her stomach. Something, other than the obvious change in age and miraculous rise from the dead, just didn't seem right about the child.

"He showed up a few days ago in his old quarters. Filtch found him wandering the halls and brought him to me immediately. He was quite torn up and angry. He remembers everything up to and including his death, and he's not very happy to be back." McGonagall sighed and clasped her hands in front of her. "He had a broken arm and many scars, a black eye, a few bruises. Poppy fixed him up as much as she could but he's incredibly frustrated with his situation."

McGonagall looked up at Hermione hopefully, and she nodded, turning to look over at the child that was just starting to wake at the other end of the hall. She started walking over and stopped a few feet away, waiting for Snape to turn and look at her first.

Snape turned in the bed, rubbing at his eyes with a depressed groan. When his hands fell to his lap, he looked around the room and froze when he saw he was not alone.

"Miss Granger? What, they brought you in to control me?" Snape growled, though it didn't sound as threatening coming out in a squeaky, prepubescent voice.

"Hello, Professor Snape. How are you feeling?" Hermione took a seat next to Snape's bed and waited, while Snape folded his arms across his chest, turning away and refusing to speak with her. Hermione turned to McGonagall and tilted her head, asking for some privacy.

Once the woman had disappeared, Hermione turned back to her former Professor and smiled sadly. "It's good to have you back, sir, even if it is a bit surprising." She leaned forward, trying to catch Snape's eye. It worked after a while, and he sighed heavily, rolling his eyes in her direction.

"What do you want, Miss Granger?" he asked, sounding very put-upon by her presence. He also sounded very tired, though, and extremely sad.

Hermione couldn't help herself; she reached out and took Snape's hand, rubbing her thumb against his soft baby skin comfortingly. "I want you to know that this is going to be alright, sir. It's going to be okay. We'll make sure of that."

For a moment, Hermione was sure she saw Snape look up at her in disbelief and a bit of relief, but then it was gone and he was wrenching his hand away from her.

"I am no child, Miss Granger. I can assure you I don't need your help, or anyone else's, either. I'm perfectly fine on my own." He sniffed irritably, glaring at the other end of the hall.

After a long, silent moment, Hermione stood and smiled, holding out her hand. "How about we go get some lunch? I'm starving." Snape just stared at her hand. Rolling her eyes, Hermione reached out and took Snape's hand. "Come on, I'm sure you'd rather be walking around than stuck in bed all day. We'll sneak out."

"Oh, I'm sure you've got ample practice with sneaking about the school," Snape replied grumpily, following her sullenly. However, when she started sneaking about and running from one pillar to the next, Snape felt his blood truly pumping for the first time since he woke up. He was excited and actually enjoying their little escape from the Hospital Wing.

"Alright, I think we can sneak in there without McGonagall seeing us. Come on!" She tugged Snape after her playfully and helped him sit at one of the tables, where an assortment of food popped into being just for them. As they ate, Hermione kept sneaking more and more food onto Snape's plate, and when he glared up at her, Hermione grinned. "You are far too small. You need to eat more."

Snape rolled his eyes but ate the offered food until they were both full. Deciding to sneak outside for some fresh air, they stood and began heading out of the Great Hall. Sitting together on the grass, Hermione studied her young Professor.

"Why do you keep staring at me?" Snape grumbled, squirming uncomfortably beneath her looks. When he had been a child, any prolonged attention from an adult only spelled trouble for him.

"I'm just surprised. It's hard to wrap my mind around, you know. You were dead yesterday, and now you're here. Have Madam Pomfrey or Professor McGonagall found out what happened, yet?"

Snape sighed as if she had asked a dull question. "This is permanent. If I try to take a potion to return me to my proper age, I will most likely die. It wouldn't work and would only be detrimental to my health. This wasn't caused by a potion, therefore no potion or spell reverse it." With a heavy sigh, he grumbled, "I'm _stuck_ like this."

Hermione felt bad for her Professor, and she reached out tentatively to brush some hair out of his face. When he turned to look at her, confused, she just smiled and tugged him into a hug. She didn't know why she did it herself, but she just felt like it was something she _needed_ to do.

"Has anyone discussed your living arrangements with you yet?" Hermione asked, curious. Snape pulled back then, his face clouding over.

"McGonagall said they would look for someone to take me in. I'm assuming that since she called you this morning, she is trying to coerce you into relieving her of my presence." He seemed uncomfortable as he mumbled, "I have _issues_, as they would put it, that this body hasn't grown out of yet. They can be. . . problematic."

Hermione rubbed his arm and tugged him slightly closer. "I wouldn't mind," Hermione said quietly. "And you do need a place to stay."

Snape frowned, glaring at the ground, before he mumbled, "You wouldn't want me, I'm sure. These issues, as I said, are quite extensive. I would be more trouble than I'm worth." The child's frown deepened, and Hermione figured he was parroting something he had been told time and time again.

"As I said, Professor, I wouldn't mind. I'm sure we would cope just fine with each other." She tilted her head in thought as she studied the little Potions Master. "Would you be comfortable with that? I work a lot, but I could take a week or two off to help you settle in."

Snape's frown morphed into a dark scowl, and he threw his hands up, exasperated. "It seems you have already decided without a word from me, so it seems I have no choice." His voice was extremely bitter for a child so small.

"That's not what I'm saying, sir, and you know it. I'm simply offering you an option and letting you know that I don't mind if you have issues. We all have issues. I understand. You don't _have_ to come home with me; McGonagall can keep asking around, if you like."

The only warning Hermione had of the impending tears was the slight wobble of Snape's bottom lip before he broke down, slowly at first, but then he progressed to shaking sobs. He covered his face in shame and brought his knees to his chest, trying to take up as little space as possible.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock before she reached out, planning on bringing him in for a much-needed hug. However, seconds before she touched him, he flinched back violently, and she pulled away.

"Professor?" He didn't respond. "Professor." Still nothing. "_Severus_!" she said sternly, placing her face right beside his. "Severus, calm down. It's going to be okay. There's no need to cry, sweetheart." Tentatively, she reached out again, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and tugging him in to her chest, where he leaned close and clung tight, refusing to move or let go for some minutes. Rocking seemed to calm him fairly quickly, so Hermione lifted him onto her lap and wrapped him in her arms, continuing to rock until he grew quiet again.

One look down showed an exhausted five year old, a thumb stuck in his mouth unconciously as he stared off into the distance. The dark circles beneath his eyes stood out frighteningly against his too-pale skin. Instead of trying to coerce him into conversation again, Hermione stood and hefted Snape up on her hip, letting him curl into her.

She took him back to the infirmary, tucking him back into his bed amid weak protests that ended in the child snuggling further beneath the blanket and promptly beginning to snore.

She watched him for a long time, mentally bracing herself for this particular task. She could do this, she _would_ do this. If not for her old Potions Professor, than for the exhausted, frightened child that had his memories and needed a home.

Now all she needed to do was convince Snape and McGonagall and Pomfrey that she could do it.


	3. A Visiter

**Quick A/N: One, I don't own this. Two, if this story looks familiar, it's probably because I also posted it on Archive of Our Own. Without further ado, enjoy chapter three!**

Snape woke with a pounding headache, but that was nothing new; ever since he had woken up four feet shorter, he had had a continuous throbbing in his brain. He could deal with it today, if he hadn't remembered that he had broken down in front of Miss Granger.

He groaned and fell back into the pillows, remembering just what had happened before he had fallen asleep. He had cried because someone was actually willing to take him in, without any incentive that he knew of, and it was someone he knew would treat him well. Miss Granger, in his experience with her, did not have a vicious bone in her body, and would certainly never harm a defenseless child.

He had then proceeded to give in to the five year old part of his brain that was screaming for comfort, by slipping his thumb in to his mouth slowly, as if moving at a slower pace would inhibit anyone from realizing what he was doing. He had allowed Miss Granger to rock him to sleep like a baby, and then she had carted him through the castle and back to his bed, where she had _tucked him in._ He couldn't believe what he had gotten himself in to.

Severus Snape was burning with embarrassment.

And, of course, that was the moment McGonagall and Granger chose to enter the room. McGonagall seemed far too happy, while Granger looked determined. Snape's eyes widened and he frowned; this couldn't be good.

"Good afternoon, Severus," McGonagall said with a smile, stopping at the foot of his bed and clasping her hands behind her back. Hermione glared in her direction and crossed her arms over her chest, giving the Headmistress a pointed look which quickly deflated her mood.

"Professor Snape, we're here to ask you about my proposition. Professor McGonagall seems to have misheard what I said as an outright agreement on your part." Hermione turned to Snape then, her glare softening into an open expression, giving him her full attention.

Snape fidgited, pressure building up around him the longer he remained silent. When he still hadn't spoken after a long, long moment, Hermione reached out and took his hand, crouching beside his bed so he didn't have to look up at them.

Keeping her voice so low that only Snape could hear, she smiled and said, "It's alright to take your time, sweetheart. It's a big decision. We understand." Snape turned to look in her eyes and a new life seemed to open up before him. He could have something like a mother again, a life that he actually enjoyed, a new start. Wasn't that what he had been looking forward to after the war ended, and yet had never been allowed to see because he had died so very close to the end? Didn't he deserve a fresh start?

Taking a deep breath, Snape turned to McGonagall and nodded. "I will leave with Miss Granger, if she will take me." McGonagall smiled wide and Hermione let a sweet grin show before she ducked her head and let out a satisfied sigh.

"I'm glad you said that," Hermione said happily, taking Snape's hand again, and this time he let her. He smiled timidly up at her and blushed. When she reached out and tickled his ribs, making happy little loving noises at him until he laughed in shock, the thought crossed his mind that this just might work.

McGonagall watched with a sad smile as Hermione helped Snape crawl out of the bed and stand up. She fell into the mothering role easily enough, fussing over him as if he had been living in that room for months and had a chestful of possessions he needed to gather. In truth, he only had two shirts and trousers that would be easily replaced.

"Is it alright if we leave now? Does Madame Pomfrey need to sign him off, or something?" McGonagall waved them off and promptly disappeared, watching from the opposite end of the room as they disappeared through the Floo in Pomfrey's office.

She waved in shock when Snape looked over his shoulder, holding out a hand to her in goodbye, his other hand taken up by Miss Granger. Then they were gone in a surge of green flames and McGonagall sighed in relief, her eyes falling shut, as she knew he was in good hands now.

"This is my home. I bought it a few years after the war ended. It's close enough to London but not so close that you could term it in 'the suburbs', I suppose. The house is small, but large enough for the two of us. The yard is big and there's a pond in the back." She tugged him closer to the house, but now that he was really here, Snape had a few questions. He waited until Hermione had led them into the house and deposited him on an incredibly comfortable sofa, before he tried to ask anything, though.

"Miss Granger, what year is it?" It was something that had been bothering him since he woke up. Everyone looked older, but not so old that it had been too very long since the end of the war.

"It's 2005, now. Seven years since the war ended. A lot's happened since then." She sounded wistful and sad, as the war usually made her, but she smiled sweetly enough down at her young charge. "Any other questions?"

There were so many to choose from, that he didn't know where to start, so he just clamped his mouth shut and looked up at her pleadingly.

She took pity on him and dropped it, giving him an understanding smile. "We can talk more when you're ready. There's no rush; we definitely have time."

Severus watched her move about the house with ease, stepping into the kitchen to make hot chocolate and grab some cookies. When she returned to the sofa with her treats, she smiled at how exhausted the little boy seemed.

"You don't have to stay away if you're tired, Sev. Go ahead and take a nap; I'll still be here when you wake up." She smiled and took a sip of her drink before reaching out tentatively and tugging the boy closer to her side. He sunk into her side like butter and moaned, his eyes fluttering shut in exhuastion.

"C-could you stay with me, while I'm asleep?" he asked in the smallest voice Hermione had ever heard. Before she could say anything, though, he stumbled over himself trying to get away. "It's okay if you're busy, I understand, you don't have to do anything," he said quietly in a rush as he pushed away from her, his face turning red as he tried to get as far away from the woman as possible.

Before he could run away, Hermione set her cup down and tugged Severus up onto her lap, causing the child to squeak in surprise. She wrapped him up in her arms and pressed a light kiss to his hair. "Sweetheart, of course I'll stay with you. It's nothing to ask at all. If it will help you sleep better, I'll stay with you all day."

Severus felt his lip quiver as he wrapped his tiny arms around Hermione's neck. "Thank you, Miss Granger. It would be much appreciated." Hermione grinned and ran a hand through Severus's hair.

"You don't need to call me that anymore, you know. I'm not a student."

Severus felt his face scrunch up as he shook his head. "I can't call you by your name, that's just odd. Besides, you're older than me, now. It's a sign of respect." He sounded as if he were quoting etiquitte lessons from his youth and Hermione couldn't help but laugh.

"Severus, I'm going to call you by your name, and I give you permission to call me by mine. I swear, I know you're not being disrespectful. And we are going to be around each other quite a bit." He shifted uncomfortably on her lap, even though he was quite content there.

Sighing heavily, Hermione decided to leave the topic for later, after he had had some sleep. "Why don't we go lay down for a while, hmm?" Severus looked up at her, confused, until he felt himself being lifted up and carried to a bedroom. He looked around, noticing how inviting it looked. It was painted white and yellow, the large windows letting in the afternoon light, and the giant bed in the center of the room looked extremely comfortable.

"Is this your room?" he asked quietly, glancing up at Hermione. She nodded and tore back the extra pillows and blankets, helping Severus snuggle down before climbing into bed, herself. Before he could stop himself, Severus curled into Hermione's chest, pressing himself as close as possible to her. He wasn't doing it conciously, but the child in him wanted to be close to the one person who seemed to understand him and care about his well-being. And, she was surprisingly comfortable.

Hermione was shocked for a moment, but she tugged the blankets over them both and wrapped an arm around the boy, running a hand through his hair while she hummed quietly. Soon, they were both sleeping peacefully.

When Severus woke up, the first thing he noticed was that Hermione had disappeared. The worst possible scenarios played through his mind as he frowned around the room, looking for any clues as to where she had gone. Then, he heard voices coming from the next room.

Padding to the door on silent, sock-clad feet, he pried the door open quietly and listened to the conversation. Were they robbers? Or worse, Death Eaters come to seek revenge on him? Did everyone already know he was back? What if they hurt Hermione?!

He strained to hear what was going on. There was a man speaking, sounding a bit shocked and confused. "What's going on, 'Mione?"

He heard Hermione sigh heavily before she said, "Don't be angry with me, but I'm looking after a child for McGonagall. You should have seen her, Ron. She looked at her wit's end! I couldn't just leave him there with her."

The relief he felt when he heard Hermione's voice was frightening. She had only left him because she had a guest. Letting out a relieved sigh, he leaned against the door, continuing to listen.

"I have a feeling that grown men might scare him a bit. It's just a feeling, but from what I know of him, I think I might be right." She kept her voice low, as if she thought someone might be eavesdropping, but Severus heard everything and tried to reason it out.

She was giving Ron Weasley warnings about him, because she thought the twit might scare him. It was considerate, but unnecessary, he thought. To prove it to both her and himself, he pushed the door open and rubbed at his eyes, as if he had just woken up and was going to search for her.

He froze when his eyes landed on the very tall, very imposing figure before him; Severus had to crane his neck back to see Ron Weasley's face. No matter how hard Severus tried to move, he felt rooted to the ground as his immature body began to shake uncontrollably. His face twisted and suddenly, Hermione was crouching in front of him, blocking out his view of Ron completely.

"Hey, did you have a good nap?" Hermione asked, trying to draw his attention back to her. Behind her, he heard Ron mumble, "Is that. . . ?" before he turned and walked through a door. Severus wasn't sure where it led to, but just the fact that he had left the room allowed Severus to regain control of his body again.

"Severus, are you okay? I thought you might react that way, that's what I was trying to explain to Ron." She rubbed the child's arms and smiled sweetly, trying to distract him from his reaction to Ron being in the room.

"I-I'm fine," he mumbled, taking a deep breath. His lips pressed tightly together, he could feel his face heating up in embarrassment. Hermione smiled.

"Don't be embarrassed; I thought something like this might happen."

"But I didn't!" Severus whined, bunching his fists up in his shirt. "I knew that was what you were thinking would happen and I wanted to prove that it wouldn't, but it _did_." He looked down at his feet unhappily.

Hermione scrunched up her face in thought for a moment, and then reached forward, bracing Severus by holding his shoulders. "Would you like to go say hello to Ron with me? I promise, I'll have you the whole time. He won't come too close, either."

Severus studied her face, intent on figuring out if she was simply making fun of him or if she was serious. All he saw in her face was truth, so he nodded. She lifted him up and braced him against her hip; he, in turn, held on to her shirt until his knuckles turned white and Hermione had to loosen his hold a bit.

"Everything's going to be fine; remember, I've got you," Hermione whispered into his ear, and Severus took a deep breath, closing his eyes until she pushed the kitchen door open. Severus turned and peeked out at Ron from the curtain of hair he hid behind.

Ron looked better than the last time he had seen him during the war; he was less dirty, taller, and much more muscular. He still had that goofy grin, however, and he aimed it at the boy clutching to Hermione like he was scared to death.

"Blimey, 'Mione. He's a tiny one, isn't he?" He took a step forward but stopped moving when he saw the boy shaking, his eyes closed tightly. "Hey, mate. It's okay, I'll stay over here. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Severus felt his embarrassment and anger boiling to the surface as he grumbled petulantly, "Not _scared_." He pouted over at Ron but felt himself calming slightly. "Hello, Mr. Weasley."

Ron grinned again and looked to Hermione. "Is that who I think it is? Because, if not, it could be his bloody kid! Professor Snape?" Ron turned down to the child when Hermione just grinned back.

"Yes, of course I'm Professor Snape. However, if you call me that in public you might receive some funny looks." He seemed to ponder something for a moment, before he turned back to Ron and smiled. "You can call me Severus," he said quietly, shyly.

Ron grinned and sat down at the kitchen table. "Well, hello there, Severus. Pleasure to see you again; it's been far too long." Hermione walked closer and breathed a sigh of relief when Severus didn't flinch back.

"Guess what," Ron said quietly, conspiratorally, to Severus, whose eyes went wide. Hermione found that these childish games always seemed to get him excited.

"What?" Severus whispered loudly, his eyes huge, as he leaned toward Ron and disentangled himself from Hermione. He quickly found himself sitting on Ron's lap instead, and Ron was cupping his hands around Severus's ear.

"Have you noticed 'Mione's left hand, yet?" Severus snapped his gaze up to Hermione and studied her hand, gasping as he saw the sparkling ring on her hand.

"Are you two getting married?!" Severus asked excitedly, bouncing in Ron's lap with a big smile. A vision of a beautiful party, with everyone all dressed up and smiling and laughing, filled his mind for a long moment and he grinned wide. Maybe they would let him help? Suddenly, he seemed to realize what exactly he was doing and stopped, his eyes going wide once more, before he slid off of Ron's lap altogether. He was being stupid! Why would they want him helping, or even _there_? He moved over to stand behind the shelter of Hermione's legs, his face as red as Ron's hair.

"It's alright, Severus. Yeah, we're getting married. That's why Ron popped in; he lives here, too. I was just worried about how you would react to him, was all." Hermione ran her fingers through Severus's hair and the boy quickly felt himself start to loosen up, his muscles going slack as he leaned against Hermione's legs.

After a deep breath, he leaned away from her. "I apologize for my behavior. That was... odd. However, congratulations on your engagement." He stood stiff and straight, his hands clasped behind his back as he nodded to Ron and Hermione. He felt quite foolish.

Ron was openly gawking at him, but Hermione just sighed and went to the sink, filling up a kettle to make some tea and hot chocolate. "Why don't you sit down, Mister Prim-and-Proper." Ron suggested with a calm smile after he recovered from the sudden change in Severus. He nodded to the chair beside him and Severus felt his face heat up, but he did as Ron suggested and took a seat.

If he was going to build a life with this young family, he would need to be able to get along with them, as well. He felt this might be harder than he had originally thought.


	4. Shopping in Diagon Alley

Severus thought he could easily get used to nights in this cozy little house with Hermione and Ron. They both realized how shocking his return to the land of the living must be for him, and tried to give him as much space and time as he needed. As the sky darkened outside, though, they would always go through the same routine.

Hermione glanced up at the clock on the mantle and smiled. "Sev, it's time to get ready for bed. Let's go, yeah?" He nodded and followed her into the bathroom. The first time she had helped him bathe had been the worst; he had felt like his blush might actually set his skin on fire. Hermione was sweet and patient, though, and had taken it all in stride.

As Severus shrugged his clothing off, Hermione knelt down and filled the tub for him. He threw himself into the water and took the cloth Hermione handed him and began cleaning himself off. Hermione, meanwhile, busied herself washing his hair. Severus was a very quiet, stoic child, and very self-sufficient. Hermione knew full-well she could leave him to clean himself up completely, but felt that if she helped him, he might allow himself to relax better around her.

"Sweet, tilt your head back. We don't want anything getting in your eyes, now," she muttered, and Severus did as she asked. With his eyes pressed tight together, Hermione rinsed him down and then helped him from the tub, wrapping him up in a warm towel, drying him off playfully, reaching out to tickle him. She helped him tug his clothes into place and then shooed him off to his bedroom, where Ron was waiting.

"Hey, kiddo!" Ron said with a grin, reaching out to set him on his lap and kiss his wet hair. "What shall we read tonight, hmm?" Severus glanced up at him hesitantly, then went over to the bookshelf and carefully selected the story for the night, bringing it back for Ron to read to him. Though in his mind he knew he was far too old to be bathed and read a bedtime story, this body he was stuck with sucked it all up like a dry sponge. He almost craved it, and all the attention he garnered here was almost overwhelming.

Hermione tucked the blankets around Severus's tiny body and kissed his forhead, then left them alone together. Hermione had her alone time with the child and Ron had his.

The stories always had Severus blinking blearily up at Ron at least halfway through, and by the end he was always struggling to keep his eyes open at all. He would hold out until Ron would set the book back on the shelf and then tug the blankets back up to Severus's chin, bending down to press another kiss to the boy's cheek.

"Goodnight, Sev." Severus grinned sleepily, closed his eyes, and nodded off as Ron left the room, silently dimming the lights and watching the little boy's face slacken in sleep.

The first morning after Severus had come to live with Ron and Hermione was very quiet, as each member of the tiny family tried to find their place in the unit. Ron rushed about getting ready for work, Hermione showed off her limited cooking skills by making up toast and cereal and porridge for them all. Severus, meanwhile, watched them both carefully, trying to commit their morning routine to memory.

As the clock struck eight, Ron smiled and pressed a quick kiss to Hermione's cheek and then ruffled Severus's hair as he passed, calling a goodbye over his shoulder.

"Have a good day, you two! I'll see you around five." Then he stepped into the Floo and disappeared in a flare of green fire. Alone once again, Severus glanced up at Hermione, wondering how big of a fool he would make of himself today. One part of him desperately wanted to embrace the child he was, but the other was still hanging on to the adult he remembered being. He couldn't seem to balance the two out properly.

"Well, what shall we do today? You have me for a whole week, before I have to go back to work." Severus shrugged, lowering his eyes to the tabletop. What did normal children do? He wouldn't know. He had no clue!

As Hermione tapped her chin in thought, Severus fidgited in his seat, wishing she would just tell him what to do and get it over with. This awkward waiting was just painful.

"Why don't we go out shopping, hmm? Do you think you're up for that?" Severus looked up at her in confusion, but shrugged his consent nonetheless. Hermione watched him oddly for a moment, almost as if she wasn't quite sure what she was seeing, before shrugging it away and smiling, grabbing his hand up and tugging him towards the fireplace.

"We'll wander around Diagon Alley and see what we can find. I've never really had to shop for children, before." As they flew through the fireplace to their destination, Severus clutched at Hermione's hand in panic, a fear of being seperated and ending up somewhere where she wasn't consumed him and he refused to let go of her, even when they reached their proper destination.

Kneeling down to be face-to-face with the boy, Hermione smiled and wiped the soot away from his tiny face. "Now, don't you worry. We won't lose each other, I promise. I've got a firm eye on you, I won't lose you." She brushed some hair out of his dark eyes and smiled again, getting a timid half-smile in return.

Hopping up to her full height, Hermione reached down and took Sev's small hand in her own before leading him out of the bar to the Alley. They wandered for a while before they found a suitable children's story, carrying clothing, toys, and furniture.

"Hah! One stop shopping, I think!" Hermione dragged him through the door and Severus was subsequently exposed to several hours worth of having clothing held up against him to see if he would like it or if it would fit or if it would clash with his skin tone! Hermione had gone into a sort of frenzy, and grin spread across her face. She didn't seem to realize that she was having far more fun with this than Severus was. But he decided to indulge her. She was, after all, paying for all this and taking time out of her own life to look after him for an indefinite amount of time. The least he could do was stand still while she gushed over the tiny clothing.

But really, there was a limit to the amount of time he could spend doing nothing at her side. It was nearing noon and his stomach was growling angily, but he ignored it. He had spent many days without eating; surely, he could go a few hours without snacking. As he shifted from foot to foot restlessly, he noticed they had gravitated closer to the children's toy section.

He tried, he really did. But they were all so colorful, and things lit up, and he was drawn forward, away from Hermione's side, to study the odd toys. He had never had wizarding toys, he had barely had Muggle toys, just a few cheap, broken things that were either found in the trash or given to him as charity.

These things, though, were brand new, still in the packaging. They even smelled new! He wandered through the aisles, trying to keep Hermione within sight but frequently getting distracted. Often, he had to remind himself sternly: Y_ou are nearly forty! Toys should not be this interesting to you!_ Yet they were, and a painful longing flowed through him as he looked at all the things he never would have even seen in his previous childhood.

"Severus! Where are you?" Hermione's panicked voice snapped him back to the present, and he blushed furiously. What would she think of him now, wandering off on his own to look at bloody children's toys?! He silently rebuked himself as he ran back to her side, looking duly chastened as she sighed in relief.

"Sweetheart, please don't wander off. I didn't even realize you were gone until a moment ago! Anything could've happened." She noticed Sev's painfully bright face and the embarrassed tears beginning to leak out of his eyes as he stared at the floor, and instantly felt like a terrible person. Of course he would grow bored. What child wanted to stand around getting fitted for clothing with nothing to do? Berating herself, Hermione took his hand softly, easily wiping away his tears before leading him back to the toys.

"Why don't we look round here for a bit. Have you seen anything interesting here, yet?" Severus peeked up at her through his fringe, looking confused and slightly hopeful. She hadn't laughed at him, or yelled at him, and was actually offering to get him a toy? What was going on?!

"I was just looking around. I'm sorry I walked away," he mumbled, his eyes finding his feet again, taking a cautious step away from her in embarrassment.

"It's alright, love. Come on, why don't we browse for a while, and see if anything catches your eye." Tugging at his hand insistently, Severus followed her through the aisles, stopping every now and then when she saw something that she thought he might enjoy. He was a very passive shopper, refusing to point out anything he might like, but not arguing when Hermione would notice a longing or curious look cast at a toy and pluck it from the shelf for a closer look. If he glanced up at it long enough, she would place it with the other purchases.

By the time they left the toy area and headed toward the furniture, there was a considerable pile of clothing and toys trailing behind them. Severus eyed it with a hint of fear, wondering how she could possibly expect him to pay her back for all these things she was purchasing. He had never really had any expenses as a teacher, but his savings was not truly that extensive, either.

As he worried away at his lip, Hermione moved through the furniture, looking at the desks and beds and shelves. She picked out a simple set for Sev's room and finally led them toward the front of the store, failing to notice Severus' awkward fidgiting.

As the clerk began totaling the purchases up, Severus turned white. Fearfully, he tugged on Hermione's robes. When she looked down at him, her distracted look focused into one of concern. Kneeling down, she stroked his shoulders, noticing how anxious he seemed.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Severus frowned, glancing up at the clerk, who seemed to be totally ignoring them.

"I'm not sure I can pay for all this. I don't even know how much is left in my Gringott's account, or if I even _have_ an account anymore." He bit his lip and watched her in fear, not wanting to have all these new, nice, clean things dangled in front of him just to have it all snatched back. Unbidden, he realized he had begun to cry silently, the total _unfairness_ of it all washing over him. He had _never_ had nice things, and now they were _right there,_ and he was going to have to give them all up because Hermione hadn't thought to ask him if he had sufficient funds for a shopping spree!

Suddenly realizing what was going through Severus' mind, Hermione let out a strangled sigh. "Oh, Severus. Stop. You're not paying for any of this, I am. Please, don't cry." She tugged him to her chest and softly rubbed his back, willing him to calm down.

"What are you talking about? Why would you pay for this?" He sounded truly confused, and Hermione felt terrible. Had he spent the entire trip tallying up the purchases and worrying over the price, instead of enjoying the experience?

"Severus," she said sternly, pulling away slightly to look him in the eye, "you are my child, now. And guardians pay for whatever their children need. And you need clothes and toys and furniture, alright? Now, no more silly worrying. It's time to go home, I think. You're looking a bit peaky. Probably time for a nap, soon."

Severus just stared up at her in a mixture of awe and trepidation. She was either doing this all out of the kindness of her heart, or she wanted something from him. She had been so kind to him, and the only time people were kind to him were when they were using him. But what could she possibly want from him?

He followed her out of the building in a daze, frowning down at the back of her shoes as a suble exhaustion started stealing over him, bit by bit, until he was dragging his feet and lookng at the ground through slitted eyes. They had finally reached The Leaky Cauldron, where Hermione glanced down and discovered his state.

"Oh, Sev. You need to tell me if you get like this." She scooped him up into her arms, shushing him as he tried to protest, but it was half-hearted at best. He could barely move as it was.

She Flooed through to her house, and quickly deposited the child on his bed, tugging his shoes off and tucking him into his bed with a sigh. The boy was a mystery. She wasn't sure from one moment to the next which Severus she was likely to get, the adult or the child or the one that was awkwardly somewhere in-between.

He hadn't expected her to take care of him so thouroghly, that was obvious. She knew he hadn't had the best childhood before, but surely his parents had given him things without telling him their costs or where the money had come from to acquire them.

But, then again, maybe they hadn't.

Sadly, she stared down at the little boy snuggled down into the blankets, snoring lightly. He looked so tiny and precious, there. How could anyone treat something so sweet so terribly?

In that moment, she vowed to herself that she would make his time with her and Ron the best she possibly could. Set in her decision, she nodded to herself and began resizing all their purchases, putting away the clothing and toys, leaving the furniture for Ron to put together during the weekend. Severus could make-do for the rest of the week with adult-sized things until the weekend.

Perhaps it would be another opportunity for Ron and Severus to bond. Snorting to herself in amusement, she shook her head in laughter. Ron already adored Severus, no matter if he was acting like a tiny adult or a hyper little boy excited for a bedtime story. The weekend would truly cement their relationship, she hoped.


	5. The Weekend pt 1

Hermione tried to keep her giggling to a minimum as she hid in the doorway, watching Ron trying to put together the bedframe without a wand. Hermione had convinced him that it wouldn't hurt him to try it the Muggle way, and that it wouldn't take as long as he thought it would. His face was steadily getting redder and redder, though, as the afternoon progressed.

"Screwdriver, Sev?" the redhead asked through gritted teeth as he glared at the frame like everything was the piece of metal's fault. Severus, a very concentrated look on his tiny face, went to the Muggle toolbox that they had borrowed from Arthur Weasley and quickly searched through it, carefully selecting a screwdriver he thought _might_ be the right size.

Proudly presenting the tool to Ron, Severus stood at his side and watched the older man struggle with the unfamiliar screwdriver and screw, growling at the things in his hands as he worked. Hermione was trying her best to not laugh, but Severus was having more trouble. He giggled quietly beside Ron, a tiny, chubby hand covering his mouth as he looked at Ron with glittering eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, it's real funny," Ron groused, groaning as he glared at the tiny screw. "If you ask me, I think magic would definitely have this finished much quicker." He side-eyed Hermione and groaned again when she shook her head, smiling and nodding toward Severus, who looked quite sad at the prospect of their building time being cut short.

"Alright, alright, I suppose we can give it one more try. How about you try this time, kid? I'll hold the pieces for you, and all you have to do is turn the screwdriver. Okay?" Ron scooted back a bit so Severus could get to the pieces of metal, his eyes wide as he took the tool from Ron.

"You think I can? If you couldn't get it, what makes you think I can?" Ron just smiled and shrugged, knudging him between Ron's knees and the metal.

"Alright, line them up," Ron trailed off, watching the two pieces of metal meet, and then said, "Now twist. Good! Keep going, now." Severus continued to twist the screwdriver until the two pieces of metal were completely fastened together. "Good job, Severus! See, you did it beautifully."

Severus's smile almost blinded them, as he hopped up and beamed at them both. "I did it! Do we have to do more? Can I help again?"

Ron grinned and tugged the boy in for a tight hug and then nodded, giving Hermione a proud smile. "Alright, Sev. Just a few more, and then we'll be able to stick the mattress on."

As Severus and Ron continued on with their building, Hermione stealthily hid the camera she had been using for the past hour. Sighing contently, she left them to it and went to the kitchen, looking over the papers she had received from work a few hours earlier, telling her what she had missed the week she was off. She would be returning to the office in two days, once Monday rolled around. She wanted to reintroduce Severus to the Weasleys before then, as he would most likely be staying with Ron's parents while they were both at work. She was slightly worried how Severus would react to the other Weasleys. She knew they would all welcome him to their growing family with open arms, but she was worried how comfortable the little boy would be with people he had spent so much time with as an adult in the Order.

She flipped through her work memos, already planning out what she would need to get done first on Monday. The time flew by until she heard a heavy clunk from Sev's room and then childish laughter. Standing curiously, she wandered back to the doorway and peeked in, laughing out loud at the sight that greeted her.

"'Mione! A little help, please. You two can laugh to your hearts' content once this thing is off of me!" Severus was sprawled on the floor laughing, red faced. Hermione wasn't far behind. The scene was just too funny. Ron was pinned beneath the heavy metal frame that he had just turned around to lay on the floor right side up. The metal had fallen on him, though, and brought him down beneath it.

With a shaky wave of her wand, Hermione lifted the frame off of Ron and he scrambled out with a michevious grin. Severus had no time to escape as Ron went after him, his long fingers tickling the little boy he had scooped up in his arms. Squeals of laughter broke out and Ron charged after Hermione next, chasing her down to join in the fun. Instead of fighting back, she smiled and wrapped them both up in a hug.

"Ah, my boys," she said fondly, chucking Sev under the chin as he tried to catch his breath. When he had calmed down, Hermione saw the content look enter the little boy's eyes as he snuggled in closer to Ron and looked up at her with a sweet smile.

A moment later, he gave the most adorable little yawn and Hermione felt her heart melt. "Looks like someone needs a nap," she whispered, quickly floating his mattress onto the bedframe and summoning up his new sheets, blankets, and pillows.

The bed was made up in moments, and Hermione added a warming charm to the blankets before tugging the blanket back for her little boy. "Come on Sev, nap time." Ron brought him closer, his eyes already fluttering close, but he whined and shook his head, trying to burrow furthur into Ron's chest. "Sev, come now, it's time for some sleep."

Ron cuddled Sev close for a moment before disentangling himself and setting him down on the bed carefully. Sev groaned, but quickly settled down into the blankets and promptly passed out. The struggle with the bedframe must have really tired him out.

Hermione moved over to Ron and stood with him for a moment, just looking down at him. He was such a well-behaved boy, though she thought that shouldn't be too shocking, seeing as he used to be a full-grown adult. But he was bubbly and happy and childish now, most of the time, at least. He was growing to trust them, she thought. Even Ron, which shocked her a bit. Though, granted, Ron had grown up a lot since they were schoolchildren. He was still handling this whole situation so well, and she loved him even more for it.

Turning to face him, she took his hand and led him out of Sev's room, closing the door as quietly as she could behind them. "Well, that was entertaining. Did you get any good pictures? With all these photos, we're going to have to buy some albums, y'know?" Ron was beaming. Hermione was shocked at how quickly he was picking up the art of fatherhood, but he was doing extremely well so far. It made her so happy that her soon-to-be husband supported her in her decision about taking Severus in.

"Oh, yes. Come on, I'll show you." They settled at the kitchen table and Hermione started flipping through the pictures on her camera, showing Ron all the angles she had gotten. She had so many, it seemed like she had simply been taking a picture every few seconds.

Chuckling at Hermione's zealousness, Ron tugged her in for a hug and she sighed contentedly, leaning into him with a happy little smile. Just then, the Floo flared green and Molly Weasley's face appeared, a wide smile spread across her face.

"Molly!" Hermione said, shocked, quickly jumping up to kneel before the fire.

Molly grinned before sending them a mock stern glare. "You two, when were you going to introduce us to your new little one?! I had to hear about the situation from Minerva this morning. She assumed I already knew about him. When are you coming round?" Quickly switching tracks, she muttered to herself, "He was always so skinny before, I'm sure it hasn't changed now." She nodded to herself and stared them down sternly. "You must come round so I can feed you all up. You don't eat nearly enough, dears. And while you're coming, I should just have everyone come round, have a proper get-together, while we're at it!"

She hardly stopped for breath, and Hermione had to jump in while she could. "Molly, we were going to stop in tomorrow! We wanted to get everything settled here before we took him anywhere else. I wanted him to get comfortable with us, as well. I'm sure you understand?"

Molly had the decency to calm down a moment, before going on enthusiastically once more. "Oh, of course, dear! Well, I'll just get the message out to everyone, let them know about tomorrow. See you all then, dears!" Then, just as suddenly as she had arrived, Molly was gone.

After a shocked moment of silence at the abrupt end to the Floo call, Hermione muttered, "Well, I guess he'll get to meet the rest of the Weasley clan tomorrow, then." Ron started to laugh, and then Hermione joined in. The imagery alone was hilarious. "We'll definitely need to keep him close. I don't think the little ones could stand up to his tongue yet. Maybe Teddy and Victorie, but the others are a bit young, still. I'd be afraid to leave him alone with them!"

That just started off another round of laughter. As they calmed down, they heard Sev's door opening and his sock-clad feet tip-toeing into the kitchen. He was rubbing his eyes tiredly and wandering closer and closer to them. When he reached the table, he set his chin on the tabletop and sighed, looking up at Hermione from beneath his fringe.

"Can I have a snack?" he asked. The poor thing still looked half-asleep, and Hermione just smiled, running her fingers through his long, dark hair.

"Of course, Sev. Sit down, why don't you?" He plopped down in a seat between Ron and Hermione and Hermione stood to put together some crackers and juice for him. She set the plate and cup down in front of him and settled back down, smiling happily.

"So, tomorrow we thought we'd go over to the Burrow. They're having a family get-together, and you'll get to get reaquainted with some and meet the others. What do you say, Sev?" she asked calmly, rubbing a hand up and down his spine. She felt him stiffen for a moment when she mentioned the Burrow, but then he melted into her hand and smiled shyly over the lip of his cup.

"Okay. Just," he paused, screwing his face up for a moment before sighing and continuing, "don't leave me alone, okay?"

"Of course, honey. If you want to stick with us, that's fine. If you change your mind once you get comfortable there, then that's fine, too." She smiled and kissed his cheek, making him giggle into his crackers before ducking his head and blushing.

They had come so far in just a few days, she reflected. He was already breaking away from Severus-the-adult and letting Sev-the-little-boy out more and more. Just the amount of times he had started laughing today was proof of that, and she prayed that he never had to hide behind his adult persona ever again. He was their little boy, now, after all. He shouldn't have to hide.


End file.
